South Carolina faces tough road test at OK State

I.J. Ready and Colin Borchert hit free throws down the stretch Saturday to help Mississippi State pull away late with a 76-72 win over Ole Miss.More >>

I.J. Ready and Colin Borchert hit free throws down the stretch Saturday to help Mississippi State pull away late with a 76-72 win over Ole Miss.More >>

(RNN) - South Carolina (2-2) will have its hands full when it travels to No. 9 Oklahoma State on Friday night in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Cowboys (7-1) lost their first game of the year the last time out, falling to Purdue in the final game of the Old Spice Classic, 73-68. They are looking to get back on track, and are 4-0 this season at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK.

The game tips at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

The Gamecocks beat Florida International 84-72 in their last game, way back on Nov. 24, hitting 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent from 3-point range. Tyrone Johnson's 18 points and seven assists led the offensive effort; Brenton Williams and Jaylen Shaw added 16 each.

USC's calling card has been its defense, holding opponents to 37 percent shooting from the field. They've been outscoring opponents 71-63, on the average.

The Cowboys first-rate offense will test that, averaging 92 points per game, shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. Marcus Smart is one of the nation's best players – he's scoring 20.5 points per game and averaging 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3 steals per game.